Lost Soul
by WriterGURL012
Summary: Lately, Embry can't help but feeling alone and misunderstood. So when he decides to take a break, something good happens but what if something that good can only last so long?
1. Resentment and manhugs

PLEASE COMMENT! I WANNA KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! HOPE YOU ENJOY!

I'm angry. I'm angry at everyone all the time. My Mom can't be honest with me, my pack seems to be ashamed...or, disappointed. I don't really know. I just know that because of certain family, if you could even call him that, I have suffered. As I walk to Sam house, I think, because I must. It keeps me calm. You wouldn't think so but as long as I can think about what I'm angry at I don't feel it. I feel numb. Before I knew it, I was walking up the steps that enter into Emily's living room. As I am accustom to this place I walk right in and look around. Jacob's on the couch with Nessie, and they both look up to greet me.

"Embry!" Renesmee said in an excited tone. I made a small smile back but said nothing. She ran over and hugged me, stepping back to place a hand on my forehead. She showed me a picture of myself, smiling and laughing. I knew what she meant by this. I'm sure I looked like someone just ran over my dog. Renesmee was half vampire, a Cullen vampire. Jacob had imprinted on her when she was born. She was special. She could show you her thoughts through memories.

Normally, in any other circumstance, vampires and wolves, wouldn't get along. Like cats and dogs. They naturally didn't like each other, but, on the rare occasion you find a cat and a dog that live in harmony, without fuss or harm. That's what it's like with the Quileutes and the Cullens. It wasn't always like this, but, thats another story.

"Hey Jake," I mumbled, "where's Uley?" I spoke up. He gave me a funny look.

"Um...he's in the kitchen." He paused. "Are you okay?" That was Jacob for you. He always knew when something was wrong or when someone was lying.

"Yeah, sure." I lied. Knowing better but not feeling like convincing him otherwise. Not waiting for him to jump on me about my feelings, I walked away quickly into the kitchen. Sam was standing over the counter eating half a pie. I cleared my throat and he looked up.

"Oh," He said, swallowing his food. "Embry, what's goin' on?" He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, instead of reaching for the towel sitting next to the plate.

"Uh...," I stumbled. "Well, can...can I speak to you in the back yard." I managed. "Alone.

"Of course. Come on." I followed him into the back. I didn't exactly know what I was going say. I've been thinking about it and I don't know if lying or telling the truth would be the best bet. I wanted to go with which ever made everyone less angry, but since I can't come up with anything good I suppose I would just say the truth, get it out there, and let what happens happen.

Sam sat on the picnic table and motioned for me to sit on the other side. I shook my head. I needed to do this standing. Pacing helps me think. Sam watch me walk back and forth until he finally said something.

"Something on your mind, something you wanna tell me?" He said. This is it.

"Yeah, but let me get it all out before you say anything. I need say it all." I paused and took a deep breath. "Sam, I'm not happy. You, the pack, everyone...everyone knows I'm unhappy. I just think that I need to get away for awhile. I didn't wanna go without letting you know first. Not like what Jake did, but I was thinking I'd go up and stay with Emily's mom. I already called and told her the situation and she said it was fine. I don't know her that well but that doesn't matter really. She knows Emily trusts me and thats enough.

"Sorry, I'm getting off topic. Anyway, I can't stay around all these people who I know secretly resent me. Sure, you all care about me, as do I. I mean, were brothers, of course we do. It's just that there are things about me that-" I stopped momentarily, "I _need_to get my thoughts together, to just try and accept the fact that I dunno who my father is and I never will because it would cause too much pain to others, but I _need_to stop the pain it causes me. I don't know what will happen but I have to try. So?" I looked at Sam's face trying to get a clear reading. His face flashed from anger to concern to rage and back to content. I was sure he was going to tie me to a tree.

"Okay, but, you have to promise that if we need you here for something important than you have to return immediately. No buts." I looked at him again, this time my face flushed with relief and admiration. I don't know why but it just seemed I was seeing a different side to Sam. He was being less of a leader and more of a brother. Which in my circumstances could be metaphoric or literal. It seemed he could read my mind.

"Embry, I'm not cold hearted. I'm stern but soft. I want you to be happy. I really do. And if that means you having to go away for awhile then so be it. Go ahead. Just remember my conditions and we'll be fine." He looked over at the tree's and then back at me. "When are you leaving?" I thought about it for a moment.

"I'm gonna say goodbye to a few and I'll be on my way tonight." He nodded and stepped forward, pulling me into a brotherly hug. I pulled back, smiled and turned towards the door.

"And Embry," Sam called. "no one resents you. Not you personally. Just...the situation." I nodded and continued inside. I hope this works.

COMMENT AND I'LL BE POSTING UP THE NEXT CHAPTER _REALLY_ SOON!


	2. Leaving everything behind

HERE IS MY NEW CHAPTER, HOPE YOU ENJOY!

Saying goodbye to everyone was hard but it's not like it was forever and I think people understood why I needed this _so_ bad. I haven't said anything to Jake yet, he'll just have hear through the grapevine. He and Nessie were gone when I came left Sam's. I assume she went back home and she would hate it if I didn't say bye. She was my friend, always could make me feel better. It's good to know people that can do that. I wasn't really planning on saying goodbye to the Cullens though, not because I didn't care about them, I just didn't feel the need. They would understand and they probably already knew. Despite this, I found myself running to their big white house anyway. I knocked on the door.

Jacob and Seth usually walked in, feeling so comfortable here but I just couldn't get used to walking in unannounced. Alice came to the door with a beautiful smile on her face.

"I _wasn't_ expecting you!" She said, excitedly. That was Alice though, she was always very...happy. And I think she loves getting surprises, because they don't happen _too_ often due to her special abilities.

"Yeah, I just wanted stop by and," I stopped, not really knowing why I was here as she kept looking at me expectantly. "Yeah... can I come in?"

"Of course you can." I followed her as she danced into the living room. Esme and Carlise, being the polite vampires they are, greeted me like family. That was one of the things I like about them. They don't have anything to say about the petty problems of the pack. They treated everyone like family, with open arms and friendly faces. It was...nice. Nice to be me without people feeling sorry for me, or scared that the truth _about _me could become known.

Emmett was sitting on the couch with Rosalie sitting in his lap, they were watching the baseball game. Well, Emmett was watching it, Rosalie was simply sitting there, enjoying her company. They both looked up when I walked in.

"Hey, dude." He said turning back to the television. Rose simply lifted a hand in my presence. She isn't _ever_ very welcoming to me though.

"Hey," I mumbled softly under my breath. I don't know why, but I always felt _really_ really shy around the Cullens. "So, um, I'm gonna be goin' out of town, and I just wanted to say 'goodbye' to Nessie. Is, a...she here?"

"Yes, she is. She's out in the yard with Jake." Alice sung in her silvery voice.

"Jake's here?" She nodded. "Right, okay. Thanks." I said, heading towards the glass sliding doors that lead to the Cullens enormous backyard. I stepped onto the lush grass, spotting Jake and Nessie in the distance, Nessie had a faint sparkle in the sunlight. Not as strong as the others. Jake was twirling her around in circles, which made her look like a disco ball.

"Hey, Jake! Your gonna spin her off a cliff. Be careful!" I said, jokingly of course. There weren't actually any cliffs around the yard. Jake looked over at me and growled, turning it into a smile, knowing I was only kidding.

"Call! What are you doing here? Hey...are you following me? First Sam's house, now here? It's a little creepy."

"Hi, Embry." Renesmee said in her high voice.

"Haha. No, I'm gonna be going up to Emily's reserve. Need to get away from my world for a while. You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do know." He paused, looking down, thinking about something. "Um...I'm gonna sound like a chick, but a...do you wanna talk about it?" If it was any other person I wouldn't because they'd be stressed out with my problems. Even though they slightly, could, maybe, affect Jake, I know he's going to genuinely listen to me. Ha, now I sound like a girl.

"It's just, the thing with my Dad, whoever that might be. I wanna know. At least I think I do. I mean, you know what it's like losing a parent. It sucks. But imagine when they left on purpose, and they see you everyday, knowing that you're there son but won't do a thing about it. I'm someone's mistake. Somebody's slip-up, and it hurts. Lately more than ever." Jacob stood there and looked at me. No judgment in his expression or fake sympathy slapped on, just concern for a friend; for a brother. Me.

"Well, than get some answer's. I don't think you'll get them where you're going, but you can try later. I only think that they're answers you need to keep to yourself. It would cause too much tension if others found out the truth. But your right. Everyone should have the right to know who their father is. Who's blood they share."

"I don't plan on finding my father there, I plan on finding myself, the rest falling into place when I get home." He smiled at me. Picking up Renesmee. She put a hand on Jacob's forehead.

"Nessie wants you to know she'll miss you, and she hopes you'll find what you're looking for." Jake said, looking at her, with complete admiration in his eyes. It sometimes amazed me how imprints worked, and _if_ they were as powerful as people thought or if it just happened to have worked out fine with the ones I know.

"Yeah, me too." I reached over and shook her copper curls. "So, I guess I'll be seeing you. O, don't call or anything unless it's an emergency. I don't want any distractions." Jake laughed.

"Okay man, I won't call you." He stopped for thought. "You better come back changed or something or I'm going to have to beat you." I laughed at this. I liked laughing. Laughing always makes you feel good. Always. It fills you with good feelings, even if just for a few moments. I haven't been doing a lot of it lately, so this felt good.

"Well, I guess I'll see you both when I get back." Nessie came up and gave me a hug, and ran back into Jake's embrace. Jake waved as I turned to leave.

I ran around the side of the house and into the woods, tying my shorts the string on my ankle, and exploding in to wolf form. I ran and ran, through the mix of green and brown, leaving everything behind.

PLEASE COMMENT AND SUBCRIBE! THANKS! THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE COMING SOON!!!! 


	3. Bands and girls

I arrived at the Makah reservation around 5pm. I have to admit that I'm a bit nervous about staying with some stranger. It didn't seem like a bad idea at the time but now it seems kinda crazy. Hey, whata ya gonna do? I walked up to the door of the big brick house and contemplated if I should knock or ring the doorbell. My Mom always told me that first impressions last.

After several minutes of standing like an idiot on the doorstep, I realized that it really doesn't matter if I knock or ring for two reasons. One, it doesn't matter because they produce the same results, and two, she doesn't have a doorbell. Oops.

I knocked on the door and waited. I heard a crash in the background and winced a little, then heard footsteps running to the door. When it opened I looked down and saw a little girl. She could only be about 5pm.

"Abigail Marie! You know better than to open the door when you don't know who it is!" I heard an woman yell. A few seconds later a middle aged woman arrived in the front room and walked toward the door. "Hello, you must be Embry. My name's Linda, I'm Emily's mother."

"Hello." I said politely.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you so soon." She shooed the girl into the kitchen and opened the door further to let me in.

"Yeah, sorry, I'm pretty fast when I travel in _fur_ form." He said nervously. She laughed at him.

"I bet." She looked around and wiped her hands on her pants. "Well, if you come with me I'll show you to your room." After she shut the door, she began to walk up the steps and I followed dumbly.

She lead me to the door on the left at the end of the hall. She opened the door and stood in the doorway. I turned sideways to get through and set my duffel - which I had tied to my leg in wolf form - on the bed.

The room was a white with navy and blue accents. It sorta reminded me of what my room looked like when I was a kid. That is until I hit my teen years and it got all dark and I put up posters of bands and girls. I never bothered to take them down so they're still there.

The room was nice though. Not that I really cared much about what my room looked liked. I don't think I'll be here that often anyway. I looked around and then faced Linda again.

"Well, I hope you'll be comfortable here. I'll let you get settled in. Dinners is ready around 6 and if you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Okay, and thank you again for letting me stay here. I promise I won't be trouble."

"Oh, nonsense. I'm very happy to have and don't be afraid to have fun. I understand that you need a vacation." She said smiling as she left, shutting the door behind her.

I plopped down on the bed and pulled my phone out the duffel. I don't usually carry a phone, but I needed it since I wasn't going to phase for awhile. I scrolled through the contacts and found my moms name and pressed talk. After one ring, she picked up.

"Embry? Oh, I'm so glad to hear from you. Did you arrive safely?"

"Yeah ma. Look, this is probably the only time I'm gonna call you." I said sternly. She was quiet for a moment. "Ma?"

"Yes, I know. Just know that I love you and I'll miss you."

"I love you too."

"And you miss me?" I chuckled.

"Yeah," I paused. "I miss you." I said sitting up on the edge of the bed.

"Good. I'll see you, when I see you. Good bye son."

"Bye Ma." and I hung up.

After looking around a little while, I glanced at the clock and saw it was almost 6:10pm. I walked down stairs and saw Linda standing at the door.

"Bye!" I heard her yell out as she shut it. She turned around and saw me.

"Oh. Embry. Your just in time. Abby's left and dinner will be ready in 5 minutes. You can watch TV for a few minutes while you wait."

"Cool. Thanks." I said walking over to the couch and picking up the remote. I turned on the game and relaxed into the couch as she walked back into the kitchen.

Since Baseball was the only thing on at the moment, I watched the final inning as the Cardinals beat the Cubs, 6-2. With good timing, Linda called me into the dining room. The aroma of the food smelt incredible. I could already tell I would like it here.

The table was set and there was a casserole dish with something that looked like Tuna, Mac, & Cheese. Next to that there was a plate of fried chicken and few other things, and as I sat down, Linda place an apple pie in the center of the round table.

"I hope the food is to your liking." She said sitting down.

"Oh I'm very sure it is." I said eying the food so greedily, it probably looked like I was raping it with my eyes. I starting to reach for a spoonful of casserole, when Linda interrupted me.

"Excuse me. We say grace." She said very matter of factly, almost as if she smacked my hands with her voice.

"Of course. I'm sorry." I felt a little embarrassed. My mom was religious, so we often said grace when I was younger, but I haven't done it in awhile. Getting over that, I made the sign of the cross and put my hands together as she began the prayer. I simply sat there quietly, grunting when necessary.

After she finished, I dug into, well...everything, saving the pie for last. We talked throughout dinner. She asked me about myself and my family and friends. Asking how everybody was doing.

By the time we finished, there was hardly anything left.

"Wow, you have an appetite. I'm sure glad I called Emily to ask what you ate." I smiled at this, because frankly, I was glad too.

"Well, it was delicious. I now see where Emily learned to cook so well." She laughed.

"Yes, well, I try." She said, joking sarcastically. I helped her clean up while we continued to talk. It was easy to talk to someone who knew nothing about you sometimes, because you could leave all of the bad stuff out.

By the time we finished, it was 8:30 and Linda announced she was going to bed.

"I will see _you_ in the morning. Good night Embry, and let me say again how glad I am that you're here."

"Thank you Linda, and goodnight to you as well." She walked up to bed and not soon after did I go to bed myself.

Trying to sleep, I thought silently to myself. I felt so welcome and at home here.

_This is nice. This is normal._

And then I was asleep. Awaiting whatever would be there for me the next day. I knew that whatever it was, it had to be good.


	4. I guess I'm a security guard

I woke up the next morning to the sound of little footsteps running past my door, followed by bigger ones and loud 'shhhs'. When I sat up and looked around the room, it dawned on me where I was and what I was doing there, some of the pain of the days before rushing back. But just being in a new atmosphere, with new people and no tension, believe it or not, makes it all the much better.

I got out of bed and pulled on some sweats and a blue t-shirt. Even before the wolf pack, I never exactly had an very complicated wardrobe. It was usually just sweats, but I figure since I'm in a strangers home, I should show some decency. If I needed to look a little nicer, I wore some jeans, instead of sweats. I'm sure you can see what I'm getting at.

Taking the steps 3 at a time, I was downstairs in a matter of seconds, and sitting at the table. I put 6 flapjacks on my plate; just as Linda and Abby sat down (they each took 1). We ate and talked kinda like we've known each other forever.

"I swear I've never seen people eat as much as you boys. When Sam and Emily came to visit, he nearly ate me out of house and home." She said with a chuckle. "But you guys keep me young. I don't know what I would do without you." She said with a smile, staring off, probably remembering something from her prime. "Anyway," she shot, snapping out of her trance. "I need to run some errands. Embry," she turned to me. "I'll need you to watch Abby while I'm away." She said getting up. She walked over to the foyer and grabbed her purse.

"But," I stammered getting to my feet. " I can't," I stopped.

"Oh, sure you can. It's easy, just listen to what she says and play with her, and _don't_ let her do anything stupid." She said like it was as easy as turning on the faucet. " Have fun!" And she walked out the door, slamming it in my face. How rude. I suppose I'd just have to make the best of this.

I turned around and to be face to face - well knee to face, anyway - with Abby herself.

I crouched down and put my self at her height. I heard that that makes you seem less intimidating to children. Or was it dogs… "So uh…" I stammered, never being that great with kids, "What do you… wanna do?" She didn't reply and just stared at me instead. "How about," I thought for a moment. "we go for a walk? Do you like going outside?"

"Yes please!" She yelled in a high pitched voice and plopped on the floor. She began pulling on her shoes, so I did the same.

I'd never really had any experience with little kids before. Not as young as her at least. There were only a few kids in la Push. Claire was the youngest but I didn't see her too often. Then there were the tween kids and they lived in their own little world anyway.

When we both decided we were ready, we headed out the door and into the woods. Normally, a small child shouldn't go into the forest, but I figured nothing would happen to her as long as she was with me.

Abby was a quiet little girl. She really didn't have much to say, and I didn't have any clue what to talk to her about. It wasn't like she had a social life or anything, being 5 and all. But then again, neither did I. That's wasn't the point though. The whole time we were out in the woods, not once did either of us make a peep. At around 4:30, we returned home and Linda was pulling into the driveway. She got out of the car and waited for us on the steps.

"Embry! Abby!" She said with a smile. "What have you two been up to?" She said when little Abby ran up to her.

"Walking!" She squealed.

"Oh…did you have fun?" She inquired, Abby nodded ferociously. Linda looked at me with a bemused expression so I shrugged. I didn't think it was _that_ much fun.

"Auntie Lindie," she started. "Can we walk tomorrow too?" Linda looked up at me, startled. I just shrugged. Again. If the kid wanted to walk with me, that was fine, it's her life, she could waste it with whomever she liked.

"Well that's up to him. Right now though, I have to take you home." She said, picking Abby up and putting her in the car. I could hear the soft murmurs as Linda whispered to her Abby. When she had her secured in her pink plastic car seat, she turned to me. "I'll be home soon and I'll start dinner. We're having pasta. Seafood pasta!" She said clapping and getting back in the car.

"Alright. I won't miss it." I replied. She was obviously very excited about making it and I would gladly eat it. She pulled out of the driveway as I stepped over the threshold and stepped into the quiet house. I flopped onto the couch and sank into the soft worn cushions. I flipped on the television and turned on the Mariners game. It reminded me of the times I spent at the Black house watching the game with Billy and Jake. Before things got all weird. The happy times.

Everyday for the last week, Abby came up to me saying "Walk! Walk! Walk!"

She likes going on walks (obviously). Which is what we were today. Doing the same thing as yesterday and the day before. We would walk and Abby would pick up rocks and put them in her pocket. I didn't know what she did with them but if she pasted a small pretty rock, she picked it up.

"Okay, okay! I'm coming." I said laughing as she used her little hands to pull me off the couch. "Get you shoes on." I told her and walked into the kitchen. "Linda, we're going for a walk." I told her.

"Like that surprises me. Just be back before 5. Abby's mother is picking her up then."

"Okay."

"What do you guys do out there anyway?" She asked curiously.

"You know," I said leaning against the counter. "Not much. We just walk. Linda, is Abby like really shy or something? She _never_ talks to me. I try to get her to but she just stares at me."

"Well, it's quite the contrary actually. She's very bold, loves being around people and doing new things, her mom said she hasn't said much since the incident with her father." She paused as if reflecting on it for a moment. I ran my fingers though my short brown hair waiting for her to continue. "She usually doesn't talk at all, just speaks one or two words at a time. Except with her mother. She's quite talker with her."

"EMBWY! Come!" I heard from the other room.

"I swear, it's like she _knows_ I'm a dog." I said, jutting my thumb in her direction." That made her laugh. So I headed to foyer and stepped outside. "See you!" I called through the door.

We stayed on the beaten path for the most part. We were crossing a creek when Abby said the strangest thing.

"You're like the other big man aren't you?" She said more like a statement than a question. What? See this is why I don't talk to children. They don't ever make any sense.

"What?" I questioned, but she didn't answer. She just smiled that little smile, just like she had a secret she wasn't telling.

"What's your whole name?" She asked me.

"Erg....Embry Call...why?" She just shrugged.

"What's your job?" Why is she asking me these questions?

"Well…, Abby, I guess you could say that I'm a security guard." I suppose that should be satisfactory for a 5 year old.

"What do you guard?" Or not. Was it just me, or did this little girl have an awfully long attention span? And they said she didn't like to talk.

"I guess you could say I guard people. Protect them."

"From what?" Really? She's still on about this? I had to think about the way I worded this. What do I protect them from? Obviously I couldn't say vampires. I didn't wanna give the poor girl nightmares.

"Just bad people. People who try hurt other people." Although they aren't people. They're nasty bloodsuckers, but that should suffice. Then her face got very solemn, almost like she was carrying a burden of some kind.

"So…people like…my Daddy?" Okay…that's strange. I wasn't expecting that. Didn't Linda say that she hasn't talked much since the 'incident' with her dad? I believe I need to pry.

"What do you mean? Why is your Daddy a _bad_ person?" I said stopping and stooping down so I was at her height so I could understand better what she was saying.

"Well…" She paused. "Mommy doesn't like me talking about it." She said looking at her feet.

"Abby…it's okay. You can tell me anything." I said. And I meant it.

"You said people who hurt other people are bad, right?" I nodded in response. "Well when I asked Mommy where Daddy was she said we had to leave him because he hurt us." She paused for a second, thinking. "I used see him hit Mommy when he was angry. And Mommy said he tried to hurt me once too." A flood of sadness and anger washed over me. I really wanted to kill somebody right now-namely her dad, if you could even call him that- and if I wasn't with Abby I would have probably hunted him down and done just that.

How could anyone, _anyone_, hurt this precious little girl. In the past week, I realized, I had become rather attached to Abby. Something about her bewitched me. Not in an imprint way, but like a family way. Like a protective father or older brother.

"You remember it? When did you and your Mom come here?" I asked trying not to let my voice sound shaky, not succeeding.

"I don't know. A while ago I guess." She said snapping out of her sad flashback-esque trance and she continued walking. We didn't talk about it anymore on the way home.

But I couldn't stop thinking about it. There were so many terrible people in the world, but who intentionally hurts a girl, let alone one that young? It made me think about myself a little bit. I know what it's like having a terrible father.

Her Dad beat her, mine doesn't acknowledge that I was his. Hers wanted to hurt her physically, mine hurt me emotionally. I mean, sure, our situations were pretty different, but still, she'd never see her father again (as long as I was alive) and I'd never know mine. Not while I was still phasing. But at least I knew my dad wasn't a _complete_ asshole.

We arrived at the house on time and I saw Abby's mother's truck in the driveway. It was a old 1960's Ford Pickup. Jacob would have died to get his hands on that baby. He was a total grease monkey. You could tell it needed some repairs and new coat of paint.

When Abby saw the familiar truck, she ran to the door, knowing her Mother was waiting inside.

I opened the door for her and yelled "We're home!". I could see Linda talking to Abby's mom, but I couldn't see because she was hidden behind the wall. I was sad for her. All the terrible times she must've gone through. It made my issues seem so tiny.

"Good," Linda said back. "you're just in time. Mari just got here. Come in here so I can introduce you!" After Abby and I took our shoes off, we raced into the kitchen. She won. She was just _too_ fast for me. Well, okay, I could've beat her but that would be cruel.

After giving Abby a high five, and her giving the rest of us a bow, I turned, running my big hands through my short black hair, to face the two women sitting down at the table and it happened. I was complete.

"Embry, this Abby's mother, Mariella." I looked down to see the most gorgeous creature I had ever seen. Her beautiful dark auburn curls whipped around her face making her bright blue eyes even more piercing. Looking at her, I felt a pull that made me stagger forward. She stood up and put her hands on my shoulders to steady me, thinking I was about to collapse.

Though I was the one who was five or so degrees over the normal body temperature, her silky skin was touching me was making my insides melt and my heart twist. I had just managed to get her to touch me. Oh…my…god.

"Are you alright?" And she talked to me. She had the most gorgeous voice. She spoke with an English accent and it was made of only the sweet notes. I must've nodded my head because she seemed to think I was okay and let go.

I wasn't okay… and yet I was. I felt like I was going to die if I didn't get to kiss her right now but I felt like I was on a cloud too. Like I just found my purpose, something to live for.

"Hi, I'm Mariella. Embry right? Abby can't stop talking about you." She said smiling.

"N-nice… to meet you." I somehow managed to croak. But 'nice' didn't even cover how I felt to meet her. She glanced over at Linda who had a nervous look on her face. She probably thought I was crazy, ogling at her. And though I should, I just couldn't stop.

"Well, look at the time. Mariella, you and Abby should get going." Linda said nudging her towards the door. Why would Linda ever want her to leave? Why would anyone _not _want her in their presence? That was just crazy.

"No!" I intervened. "Why don't you…stay for dinner? Please...just don't go." I said the last part under my breath. I wanted nothing more than to just stare at her all night and devour her with my kisses and envelop myself in her sweet flowery fragrance.

"I'm sorry?" She said, not understanding my mumble.

"They can't. I didn't make enough food to feed four people." Linda said in a stern, _don't mess with me boy or I'll bite your head off _kind of way.

"But..." I said weakly as she hurried them both out the door. I watched her leave with a longing glance. I could still feel where her hands where, as it burned a hole through my skin.

"Bye" I heard Abby yell in her tiny yet booming voice as t hey left. Linda slammed the door behind them. She paced the living room floor and then walked straight up to me staring into my eyes. She turned back around and looked out the window, making sure they had left and then she came right back to me and said,

"Embry? Did you just _imprint_ on Mariella?"


	5. Imprinting's a bitch

Okay, here is the first update i've done on fanfiction in a LONG time. I hope you all like it! A I have to thank dear dear Abby for the editing. Lord knows my first draft is a hot mess. Well, I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own twilight or any of it's characters.

* * *

Looking tired, Linda collapsed in the chair next to her. She had a worried expression plastered to her face. At the time I still didn't know what was happening.

"Embry, sit down…." She said with a sigh. With one last longing look at the door, I sat with a thump.

"Look Linda, I don't know what's going on, but I think I'm gonna... go to the store." I started to get up, but she stopped me.

"No." Linda said loudly.

"Hmm?" I looked at her sideways. "You're not going to go to the store at all are you? You're going see if you can find Mariella and make a fool of yourself in the process." She said, looking at the wall.

"Uh…" I let out. She looked at me.

"Sit down." I sat down. "Embry, if it was any other person, I would be thrilled. It's just…" she stopped.

"What?" I know I should've been paying more attention but all I could think was "_I wonder what Mariella is doing right now?"_

"Don't get me wrong here darling. Mariella is great. She's an amazing mother, a good friend, and you two would be perfect for each other." She paused. "She just has a complicated past."

"Linda." I said flatly. "I have a complicated past."

"Yes, but it's just - Abby's father - he isn't a very nice man, Embry."

"So I've heard. But he's doesn't know they're here, right?" I questioned. I slightly worried. I didn't want some creep trying to get back in their lives.

"Well…for now he doesn't. But he kind of has the tendency to pop into her life when she's the happiest." She stated with a gloomy expression. "Sort of like cancer."

"Well…look." I said, nervously tapping my size 13 foot up and down. "I think I'm gonna go talk to Sam." As I stood, she mumbled under her breath,

"_That better be the only thing you're doing_." I was about to leave when Linda said, "Alright, just…" She paused. "just be careful and don't do anything you'll regret." _Hm. Wonder what she means by that?_ I thought with sarcasm. I walked out the door and started for the woods. I couldn't seem to think of anything but Mariella. Like she was imprinted in my mind or something. O wait…she was.

After walking for awhile, I took off my clothes, put them on the root of a big tree and started running. After a few seconds, I exploded into a huge gray wolf with dark gray spots. Immediately, I heard the thoughts of Seth and Jacob.

_Embry? Is that you? _Seth thought.

_Embry! _Jacob exclaimed.

_Hey guys. _I thought with a little less enthusiasm, and a second later my dumb brain started thinking of Mariella again.

_"Oh my… _Jake started.

_GOD! _Seth finished for him. _You imprinted! Who is she? What's her nam- _

_Seth. Shut up. _Jake demanded.

_Sorry… _He thought quietly.

_Yep. _I thought, popping the 'p'. _I guess I did. Uh…_I stopped. More memories of that gorgeous face came rushing in. Seeing her face so clearly in my mind made me whimper.

_She's pretty. _Seth complimented, which made me growl. _Sorry._.. He apologized again.

_S'okay. Uh, Can you guys go get Sam for me? _I thought, trying to forget Seth's innocent, but strangely annoying, remark.

_Sure thing man. Good to hear from you…we miss you. _Jacob pressed. I didn't respond, and before I knew it, Jake and Seth were suddenly gone. My thoughts started drifting to Mari. I decided that I would just go and stand in the woods by her house. Just to make sure her and Abby stayed safe. As I started running, Sam's voice popped in my head so I stopped and layed down in the grass.

_Embry? _He thought.

_Hey, Sam. _I thought impatiently. I wanted to get this over with so that I could get to Mariella. _I kinda need to talk to you about- _

_You imprinted. _He thought, interupting me.

_Yeah…Seth told you? _I asked. He chuckled.

_Surprisingly, no. _Seth had little problem with talking to much, so this surprised me too. _You told me. _

_Hm? _Uh…No I didn't.

_Em. I was just hit with about 100 different pictures of the same girl. It wasn't too hard figure out. _He paused. Thinking for a moment, I didn't say anything. Frankly, I was a little embarrassed. I'd had girlfriends before and stuff, but I'd always been able to keep my thoughts of them from the pack. But with Mariella, I just couldn't keep my mind off of her. Ugh...Imprinting's a bitch. _I…understand that you might not be back anytime soon. You have to be near her, and by the look of your memories, her daughter...? _

_Mhm. _

_Okay, well I really hope that you come back at some point. We all miss you. Especially Jake,but no rush, take your time. _He thought.

_Yeah, um…how is everyone? _I wanted to tell them that I missed them too, but I didn't want them to think that I couldn't live without them. It gave a sense of empowerment, leaving them. I knew it shouldn't have, but it made me feel like I was my own person.

_Good, good. Everyone's great. Emily's pregnant. _I could hear the joy in his voice. I wanted that.

_That's great Sam. Congratulations. _I really was very happy for him. A little jealous, but happy about it. Happy that he was happy.

_Yeah, everyone's really excited about it." _I bet they were. People in La Push _love_ babies.

_Well… I better be going." _It was time for me to see my girl.

_Alright. _He paused. _Oh, and don't be a stranger. We'd like to hear from you more often. We weren't even sure if you'd contact us at all. _

_Yeah, _I thought about it._ sure. Tell everyone I said hello._

_Of course, goodbye Embry._

_Bye Sam. _And then he was gone and I was left alone with myself. Again.

I followed Mariella's gorgeous scent, sage and citrus, all the way to her house that sat just outside of the reservation. I stood in human form behind a tree and some bushes near what seemed to be both her and Abby's bedrooms.

There she was, putting Abby to bed. She sat on the edge of the yellow bedspread, picked up a book off the nightstand and began to read. As I listened to her, the words became nonexistent and it was just her voice I heard. I loved her voice. It was intoxicating. I sat there in a trance for who knows how long. It seemed like forever but I'm sure it was only about an hour. I snapped out of it when I heard her kiss Abby's forehead. I saw the light go off and heard the door lightly shut. The light in her room switched on seconds later. It was exactly what I thought her room would look like. The green walls suited her.

I watched her go through what seemed like a routine, taking her jewelry off, brushing her hair, and taking out her contacts. _I'd like to see her in her glasses _I thought to myself.

Then she started unbutton her jeans. When I realized what she was doing, she had taken her pants off and started on her shirt. Though I really, really didn't want to, I turned away and concentrated on the ridges of the bark in a tree. It didn't seem right, watching her like that. When I looked again, she had put on a purple camisole and crawled into bed. She took a black case off her nightstand slid a pair of black square framed glasses out and slipped them on. I got my wish. A fact that made me smile.

After getting situated, she grabbed a book from the table and opened up to the marked page. It was interesting watching her read. She really got into it. Her expression changed many times and I memorized each one. She had a smile that made me melt. She would bite her bottom lip a bit before she did so. And when she laughed, it made me laugh. She really was perfect.

I don't know what time I went home. I think it was some time around 3 A.M. She had fallen asleep several hours earlier but I continued to watch her. I liked how peaceful she looked.

When I got to my window I looked up and saw the lights had been turned on. I jumped to the window sill and immediately smelled Linda and it was _really_ strong. Not like she was in the house, but like she was in the room. I took a deep breath to prepare myself and crawled through the window.

Sitting on the edge of my bed with her arms crossed and a scary look on her face, Linda spoke. "It's late." She said flatly.

"Is it?" I said, absent-mindedly checking the imaginary watch on my wrist. "Wow! Where'd the time go?" I said with nervous laughter.

"Embry. I am not your mother." I nodded. She stood and looked up at me. "I'm not your alpha." Obliviously. "But you are living in my house and in my house there is a curfew." I swallowed. For some strange reason, this tiny woman scared the shit out of me. "You are to be in the house by midnight. No later…Understand?"

I nodded quickly and she stepped around me to the door, opening it and mumbling a goodnight before slamming it shut, leaving me by myself. I took my shirt off and crawled into bed, not even bothering with my jeans. It has been _way _toolong a day for me.

* * *

COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT! I WRITE FASTER IF I GET LOTS AND LOTS OF COMMENTS! PLUS I LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY!


	6. Play with bacon & your gonna get burned

**Sorry, for some reason, this took me like forever and a day to write. But, I hope you like it! Comment comment comment!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight. Duh. **

Despite the fact I was scary tired, I couldn't seem to fall asleep. I just laid with my hands behind my head, staring at the navy blue ceiling fan above me. I thought about a lot of things: How much I missed my Mom, Linda's ferocious attitude, Abby and her rotten biological father, but they all seemed tiny compared to my reeling list of thoughts of questions about Mariella.

Where was she from? Did she like dogs? Wolfs? What was her favorite color? Did she have other family? When did she come here? Why? Was she happy?

I was itching to find the truth, but I enjoyed imagining it to pass the time. Throughout the night, it became like a game for me. I would think of her with different backgrounds and different personalities and I would picture our life together with each one.

I pictured us living in a big yellow farm house in the country, raising Abby in the big open fields, far away from all the bad in the world. I also saw us living in the city, in a town house. We walked everywhere, ate out all the time, and enjoyed the bustle of the people around us. I pictured us living in La Push, blissfully happy together. We had a brick house with dark blue shutters, not huge, but enough. I saw us… growing old together.

Usually, thinking like this about someone I just met might've made me feel weird. I knew I would think someone was a little bit off if I said "Hey" to them and they started planning our wedding. But with Mariella, it wasn't weird at all. It felt right.

No other girl has ignited these kind of thoughts before. I'd never experienced anything close to even resembling love before. Not romantic love anyway. It was different. It made me feel…warm. It made me feel safe. I didn't want to feel anything else ever again because frankly, nothing could compare. I know, I know. I sound like a chick.

I looked over at clock on the nightstand. 6:30 A.M. I listened and waited. It seemed like I'd been waiting forever. Just when I couldn't stand it anymore, I heard it. The faint sound of a car door being shut traveled up the stairs and into my room. I jumped from my bed and flew down the steps. It was a bright Sunday morning and Mariella had the day off. I over heard her and Linda talking earlier while lying in bed. She and Abby would be coming over for breakfast. Apparently, it was a regular thing for them.

I was in the entryway before they even got to the steps. I had to use every muscle in my body to restrain myself from opening the door and looking like a fool. I stood still as I pressed my ear to the door, waiting to hear them knock. I heard Linda ask me something from the kitchen, but I brushed it off when them knock. I swung the door open, catching it just before it hit the wall.

Mariella jumped a bit and Abby stared up at me with a quizzical look in her big blue eyes. After a second she broke into a big smile.

"Hi Embwy!" She yelled after a second of silence, attaching herself to my leg. I was still smiling like an idiot at her mother, but shook out of it and bent down to pick her up.

"Hey there." I said, than looked at Mariella and smiled. I stepped aside, and said "Please, come in." She smiled back and stepped inside, walking towards the kitchen. I heard the sounds of her and Linda exchanging greetings, but turned my attention back to the little girl in my arms.

"How are you?" I asked, sneaking glances at Mariella over her shoulder. The toddler put on a "grown-up" face and said,

"I'm fine, thank you. And yourself?" Her seriousness made me laugh.

"I'm good, but I'm hungry. Do you wanna go into the kitchen?" She bit her lip and broke into a smile, swiftly nodding her head. She looked just like her mother when she did that.

We walked into the kitchen and I placed her in the chair by the door. Linda had the radio on while she cooked. It was playing some a jazzy song that I didn't recognize. But I knew I liked it because as Mariella was flipping bacon, she was swaying to the rhythm. Yes, it was definitely my favorite song. I broke out of my obvious stare when Linda turned to me and said;

"Set the table for me?"

"Yeah yeah, sure." I mainly agreed because the plates were in the cabinet above Mariella's head. I took a deep breath and walked over to her. She was still shaking [ Again, maybe something more graceful? When I read this, I thought she was having a seizure.] and humming to the song when I cleared my throat. She immediately stopped dancing and turned towards me. She had an embarrassed look on her face, but she looked beautiful. She was wearing a smooth, green top, a pair of jeans, and boots. It was simple but it made . He cheeks had a pink tint and the brown color smudged around her eyes brought out the blue in them.

"Sorry. I sort of forgot I wasn't alone. I tend to get a little lost in the music."

"Yeah, me too." I said absent mindedly. What? I have no clue why I said that.

"Oh! You like to dance?" What?

"Uh….not really." Again, what? Why does my mouth betray me like this? She gave me a confused look as I racked every corner of my brain for a response. "I-I mean that I really like music. I always have, and I know what you mean by being caught up in it. But um…I'm not too great a dancer." I admitted. She nodded her head and continued staring at me. I kept thinking Do I have something on my face? In my teeth? But no worries. I didn't.

"Did you uh, need me for something?" Oh! Right.

"No. I just needed to get some plates." She nodded in acknowledgment, stepping aside.

I reached for the plates on the highest shelf, because they looked the nicest. It wasn't high enough for me to stand on my toes but high enough that I had to stretch to reach them all. I didn't want another fumble of words with Mari so I simply walked back towards the table. I was setting the plates in their places when I heard a sharp voice behind me.

"Bollocks!" Her angry tone made me cringe but immediately I turned around and rushed towards Mari who was moving the burnt bacon away from the stove.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" I said quickly.

"Fuck!" She mumbled under breath. "I'm fine. It's this damn cooking thing! I get so distracted…I can't even fry bacon without mucking it up for everyone!" She said, shaking her hand rapidly as though it was in pain.

"Why-what's wrong with you hand?" I said grabbing it from her side and putting it under the light. There was a long red line in the middle of hand and on a the pads of her fingers.

"It's fine, I just forgot to use a hot pad." She said, trying to pull her hand away. That must've been the understatement of the century. I was about to go on about the importance of protecting your skin from hot surfaces, when Linda ran in.

"What happened?" She said in a panic. I hadn't even realized she had left the room. Mariella explained while I ran her hand under cold water. As stupid as it sounds, I was actually mad at a frying pan. Sad right?

"Come on." I said, gently guiding her out of the kitchen.

"Uh…"

"I have to clean it and bandage it." I told her, leading her into the bathroom. When we got there I made her run her hand under cold water, like I learned as a kid.

You see, when I was about eleven years old, my Mom and I were at a gas station in Forks and I was waiting for her outside, leaning against the ice machine. A man, dressed in full leather in the middle of July, pulled up in a black motorcycle with orange flames along the sides. As a young boy, naturally, I was in awe of him. He looked so…cool. I don't know how else to describe it.

Anyway, when I saw the leather man go inside, I went up to his bike and started inspecting it. I got as close as I could, trying the best I could not to touch it. When the man came out, seeing me next to his "baby" probably scared him a little and he shouted a blunt,

"Hey, kid!" This startled me so much, I backed into the hot metal on the side of the bike. The pain didn't hit me right away. It took me a minute before I realized what was happening, and started screaming. The man picked me up and ran me to the far end of the building by the hose and the ice machine.

"Hold on." He said. He went over to the big metal machine. He pulled out a bag of ice and laid it on the ground, propping my leg on it so the burn spot hit the cold ice. It was almost painful at first. Than he took the hose and ran it over my leg. The man told me to hold the hose there and ran into the store.

About three seconds later, he ran back out with my frantic mother in tow. She was talking about sixty miles a minute. He explained what had happened and told her that in about five minutes, when the pain dulled, she needed to take me to a hospital so I could get my burn checked out. She nodded and thanked him about a million times before he finally left on his bike and my mother took me to the ER.

So now, I had a vague idea on how to treat a burn. To my surprise, Mariella took the pain quite well. I wouldn't have been the least bit surprised if she would broken out in fit of tears. She didn't though. She just watched as I gently dried her hand with a soft cloth.

When I glanced at her, she was staring at me. It shocks me to say, but I blushed. The way she looked at me, it was as if she was staring into my soul. Shut up. I know that sounds cheesy. I swallowed hard and looked at her again. She was still staring.

"What?" I asked her, she didn't look away like I thought she would though. After a second, she replied.

"Nothing, it's just…"

"Just what?"

"You're sweet, you know that? You act like…like you care or something."

" Well…I do." I said. I couldn't even begin to explain to her how much I cared. I already loved her and I had just met her. Her pain was my pain. I'd never cared about anyone so much.

"Why?" She asked softly. I knew I just couldn't come right out and say it. I figured it would be best if I just avoided the question. I told her I'd be right back and ran into the kitchen. When I came back, I had a bottle of honey with me.

"What's that for?"

"Well, Linda doesn't have any burn cream, but this should help stop it from blistering. If you have a blister that big on you palm, it'll be hard to do a lot of stuff with it." I explained. She nodded and let me spread it gently over her palm, bandage it, and wrap it with gauze. "Alrighty, your all good." I told her.

"Thanks Doc." She said with a smile, stepping around me and walking back to the kitchen. As I watched her go, I memorized the image. Despite the terrible burn on her hand and pain she must be in, she seemed kind of…giddy. I don't know of anybody who would be anything but miserable after that. She was so… different.

* * *

**Comment! Please! I promise I'll write faster if you comment!**


End file.
